Rotterdam, Netherlands

The Van Nelle Factory (Dutch: Van Nellefabriek) is a former factory building in Rotterdam, Netherlands designed by architects Johannes Brinkman and Leendert van der Vlugt.

It was built constructed between 1927 and 1929 and is now a national monument as an example of the Nieuwe Bouwen, modern architecture in the Netherlands.

Van Nelle Factory – photo from Vincent van der Pas

Lisbon, Portugal

The enchanting Hieronymites Monastery took 100 years to build, which is evident in every breathtaking detail of the structure from the archways to the intricately carved sculptures out front.

Hieronymites Monastery by Jorge Franganillo, Flickr

Piraeus (Athens), Greece

The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a high rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and containing the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historic significance, the most famous being the Parthenon.

Athens photo by Ronny Slegel, Flickr

Mozambique

The fortified city of Mozambique is located on this island, a former Portuguese trading-post on the route to India. Its remarkable architectural unity is due to the consistent use, since the 16th century, of the same building techniques, building materials (stone ormacuti) and decorative principles.
— From UNESCO

Island of Mozambique from Stig Nygaard on Flickr

Morocco

The Portuguese City of Mazagan – one of the early settlements of the Portuguese explorers in West Africa on the route to India – is an outstanding example of the interchange of influences between European and Moroccan cultures, well reflected in architecture, technology, and town planning.
— From UNESCO

City of Mag – photo by Klaus on Flickr

Dakar, Senegal

The island of Gorée lies off the coast of Senegal, opposite Dakar. From the 15th to the 19th century, it was the largest slave-trading centre on the African coast. Ruled in succession by the Portuguese, Dutch, English and French, its architecture is characterized by the contrast between the grim slave-quarters and the elegant houses of the slave traders.
–From UNESCO

A street on the island of Goree – Photo by Michael Fleshman from Flickr

Historic Cairo, Egypt

Second only to the Pyramids in Giza, the ancient temple ruins at Karnak in Luxor are a must see for any traveler who ventures to Europe. “Founded in the 10th century, it became the new centre of the Islamic world, reaching its golden age in the 14th century.” – From UNESCO

Mausoleums of the City of the Dead – photo by Nadia Ismall on Flickr

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If not, we always say there is no time like the present to start planning for your next adventure!